Electric trolley-switch.



No. 805,225. PATBNTBD Nov. 21, 1905. G. H. NBGLEY L 1. L. BROWN.

ELECTRIC TROLLEY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED 2111111211, 1903.

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ELECTRIC TROLLEY SWITGH.

`APPLICATION FILED SBPT.11, 1903.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. NEGLEY AND ISAAC L. BROWN, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

ELECTRIC TROLLEY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed September ll, 1903. Serial No. 172,801.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE' H. N EGLEY and ISAAC L. BROWN, of Indianapolis, county of `Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Electric T rolley-Switch 5 and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts. The chief obj ect of our invention is to provide a trolley-wire switch that is suitable and safe for rapid transit of cars, especially on interurban lines, and a connection between the trolley-wire switch and the railwayswitch whereby the two may be thrown by a single positive means which will hold them in their thrown position, and also means for indicating from a considerable distance the exact condition or position of both the railwayswitch and the trolley-wire switch. With these provisions the rapid transit of interurban cars at switches is made possible. This and the other improvements herein will appear more fully from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of an electric railway provided with our improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the trolley-wire switch. Fig. 3 is the bottom view thereof. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of a railway at the switch, the wire-supporting pole being in cross-section. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the insulated connection between the railway-switch-actuating mechanism and the trolley-wire-switch-actuating mechanism. Figs. 6 to 9 are transverse sections on the line 6 6, 7 7, 8 8, and 9 9, respectively, of Fig. 3, parts being broken away. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a portion of the switch, switch-frame, andmain trolley-wire, said parts being partly broken away.

In the drawings the main railway 10 consists of the usual T-rails used on interurban electric lines laid on ties 11.

12 is a side-track T-rail that is stationary, and 13 represents the switch-rails, which are also T-rails, one a side-track rail and the other a main-track rail, and both connected with and movable by the cross-bar 14, so as to open or close the switch. The switch in Fig. 4 is shown open, so that the main line is clear. The cross-bar 14 is pivotally connected by the link 15 with a centrally-fulcrumed lever 16, that is secured to the bottom or lower end of the vertical post of the signal 18. The lever 16 and the signal are moved and actuated by a hand-thrown lever 17, and they, as well as the switchrails, are held in their thrown position b y catches or locks 19, that are placed on the extended cross-ties shown. In rapid transit on interurban lines a positive means both for throwing and for holding the switch and the signal are absolutely necessary, and the signal must be such as to indicate from a considerable distance the condition of the switches, so that the motorman will not have to slow down when he does not wish to take the side track.

Poles 20, through span-wires 21, support the through trolley-wire 22, which is a continuous and unbroken wire to accommodate rapid transit, for if the through trolley-wire is broken or has hinged sections in it the trolley will fly from it while the car is passing rapidly when it is not desired to take a side track. The span-wires also support the sidetrack trolley wire 23, which is separated from the through wire and is connected with it by an intervening switch 25, that is laterally movable from the through wire, so as to be entirely away from it and leave the through wire clear for rapid transit and which cannot interfere with the trolley on the through line when the switch is open. This switch 25 is pivoted at 26 on a trolley-switch frame 27.^

The trolley-switch frame 27 is supported by the span-wires vconnected with the eyes 28. The side trolley-wire 23 is connected with said frame by the means shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

30 is a downwardly-extending rib from the trolley-switch frame 27, the Figs. 6 to 9 being shown inverted. The side trolley-wire 23 is provided with an extension 31, that is clamped between two stationary clampingjaws 32 ,1 but at some one point it is held by a separable clamp 33 and screw 34, as seen in Fig. 7, to prevent its longitudinal slipping. The through trolley-wire is similarly mounted and at most points lies in a groove in the extension 30, as seen in Fig. 9; but at two points at least it is held by the clamps 35, (seen in Fig. 8,) there being one on each side of the extension 30, which latter is recessed and cut to receive the clamps 35, and especially the toes 36 thereof, and said clamps are held in place by the screw 34.

The trolley -wire switch 25 is thrown by a wrist-pin 37, movable in a slotted guide 38 in the trolley-switch frame 27 by the lever IOO 39, which is pivoted to the switch-frame at about midway between its ends. It is actuated by a pair of wires or cables 41, that pass over the pulleys 42, mounted on one of the poles 20 to the lever 43, centrally pivoted to the bar 44 upon one of the cross-ties and having an arm 45, connected by a bar 46 with thelever 16 in the railway-switch-throwing mechanism. The connection and arrangement of the foregoing mechanism is such, as shown in Fig. l, that when the railway-switch is closed the trolley-switch will be open, and when the railway-switch is open the trolley-switch will be closed.

The cables 41 are connected with the lever 39 by the insulating means shown in Fig. 5, which consist of a block 46 of insulating material in a metal tube 47, and eyes 48 extend into the insulating material.

It is necessary that the trolley-wire switch 25 should be wider than the trolley-wires, so as to extend lower than the main trolleywire in order that when the trolley shall run on the switch the lange of the trolley will disengage the main trolley-wire.

By reason of the connection between the trolley-wire switch above and the signal 1S below said signal indicates at a considerable distance the condition of the trolley-wire switch, so that if the motorman does not wish to take the side track and he sees that the through trolley-wire is clear he'need not reduce his speed in the least. This same connection also between the trolley-wire switch and the lever 17 for throwing the switches and the means for holding the same and holding the signal tends to give him further assurance that the line is in condition for rapid transit and that his trolley-wire will not escape.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

nected with said switch, and means connected with each end of said lever for actuating said lever and moving the switch.

2. In an electric-railway constructionfa through trolley-wire, a switch-frame to the under side of' which said trolley-wire is secured, said switch-frame having a slightlycurved substantially transverse slot in it eX- tending to the through trolleywire, spanwires for supporting said switch-frame, a side-track trolley-wire secured to the switchframe at a point some distance. from the through trolley-wire, a switch pivoted lto said switch-frame adjacent and in line with the end of the side-track trolley-wire and widened so as to extend lower than the through trolley-wire, a headed bolt extending from the free end of the switch loosely through the slot in the switch-frame for su porting and guiding the free end of the switc a lever pivoted between its ends upon said switch-frame that engages said headed bolt so as to actuate said switch, and means connected with each end of said lever for operating it.

In witness whereof we have hereunto afiixed our signatures in the presence of the witnesses herein named.

GEORGE H. NEGLEY. ISAAC L. BROWN. Witnesses:

V. H. LocKwooD, NELLIE ALLEMONG. 

